Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-12-15
THE HAUNTED TOWER.
BY WE'RE v. HUNT.

"And, Barny, do you tell me it's
haunted ~
=" Shure as yer there it is, yer honor.
Hanted in troath, and as long as l re-
mimber, and Tn eighty-two years of
age, the Lard between me and harm.n
was spending fortnight's vacation
at the pretty little village of Dunlecky,
on the west coast of Clare, preparatory
to going up for my intermediate exam
1nation In Trinity college, Dublin, popu-
larly known as the "Little Co..
Dunlecky is an out Of the way little
nook, built on the decline of bold pro.
montory, facing tight out on the broad
Atlantic, whose mighty pillows had
broken for ages against its stern base.
The tisher-folk who formed almost the
entire population of the hamlet, had up
held the Irish reputation for hospitality,
and the time had spent there shooting
and fishing had passed sill too rapidly.
One place, however, had not visited,
and one alone, 1t was the ruins of a
once stately tower built on the ridge of
afrowning prccipice about quarter of
q mile from Dunlecky. Local tradition
AAesd ~ ttAab tllo tOWCI was UuCC OCCuD1Cu
BY . blood-thirsty pirate, named Byran
Lynn, and on his death. the place had
been taken possion of by evil spirits,
who stayed in an immense cavern under
meath the rock, during the day time, and
made night hideous within the old ruin,
when the shadows of even-tide had
fallen. The boldest fisherman would
not row his boat into that canvern, in the
noon-daylight, for all the wealth of
India, and any man who would suggest
avisit to the ruins after sunset would be
forthwith branded as raging and
dangerous madmau, Grewsome tales of
shrlcks and groans, of blue lights, and
ghostly shrouds that had been seen on
various occasions by belated village folk
had had too righteous an effect upon the
nerves of men whose cheeks had never
blanched when henven's artillery made
the echoes of space resound, and the
raging ocean had threatened instant
death.
1t was after hearing one of these
anecdotes from old Barney Mcclure, the
patriarch of the little community, as we
sat together one evening In the ''snug-
gerry of the little inn that formed the
Club House. Saloon and Debating Hall,
of Dunlecky.
Well, Barney, Inever saw ghost in
my life, and really / am anxious to see
one, wonder if / went up to Glin Cliff
some evening, would they treat me
decents" Iobserved.
"Thrate ye-dacent is it, yer honorl
Shure they'd make gridiron of yer bones
toroast yer soul for their Masther."
swell, Barney, oil know is that /
won't leave Dnnlecky until I have gone
through Gin Cliff, and if see ghost
there, it will be all the more 'divar-
sion, and rising ] went out to take u
look at the weather as if felt desirons
for pull, and to try my skill on some
of those sea-birds that were fitting like
snow-6akes around the cliffs. The
evening was all that could be desired.
The sea stretched away into the distance
without ripple apparent on its bosom,
like q sheet Of FURNISHED silver, and the
sky was tinted with red and gold by the
sun, that in two hours time would sink
calmly into Eeptune's bosom.
Soon the oars of my little skif were
breaking through the yielding fluid, and
in about twenty minutes more | had
brought down five of the denizens Of
the'rocks from their lofty eyrie The time
slipped by rapidly, and at length wher
the shadows warned me that it was time
& to be pulling home, / discovered that
had quite distance to travel. A breeze
was also springing up, and thick darl
cloud had formed on the ehorizon. Gradu